Building Our Future Conference
The Building Our Future Conference is Master Builders Australia inaugural conference. This conference will be held as part of the 2025 National Excellence in Construction Awards program and will host a variety of inspiring, empowering and informative speakers and panelists. Join us to hear from:
Janine Allis, founder of Boost Juice
Dr Richard Harris, Australia anesthetist, cave diver and hero of the 2018 Thai Cave Rescue
Simon Kuestenmacher, co-founder of The Demographics Group
Date: Friday 28 November
Time: 9am - 4pm
Location: Sir Charles Todd Ballroom, Adelaide Marriott
Dress Code: Business Attire
Cost: $1,045.00
CONFERENCE AGENDA:
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Time:
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Session:
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8:30am-8.45am
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Registration Open
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8.45am
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Conference Opening – Setting the Scene
CEO of Master Builders Australia, and Conference Facilitator, Denita Wawn, will set the scene for the Building our Future Conference by providing a snapshot of the current state of play with a focus on the the intersection of the industry, politics and the economy.
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Session 1 – What does the future hold for building and construction?
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9am–10am
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Opening Keynote
Simon Kuestenmacher is a Director and Founder of The Demographics Group and will use his expertise to provide an outlook on what are likely consumer demands for the built environment.
Q&A session available for attendees
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10am – 10.45am
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Professor Mathew Aitchison, Chief Executive Officer of Building 4.0 Cooperative Research Centre and a Professor of Architecture at Monash University.
Professor Aitchison will focus on how the CRC 4.0 is leading research into how the industry can build better, smarter, safer, faster and more sustainably.
Q&A session available for attendees
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10.45am – 11am
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What does the audience think about the future of the industry?
Attendees will be asked questions about the future of the industry through an online poll to gauge sentiment and priorities for Master Builders advocacy.
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11am–11:30am
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Morning Tea – Networking Session
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Session 2- How can we successfully adapt to changing business environments?
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11:30am–12:30pm
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Keynote Speaker
Janine Allis, Founder of Boost Juice, Director of Retail Zoo, the powerhouse behind brands like Salsas Fresh Mex and Betty’s Burgers, and a "Shark" on Shark Tank Australia.
Janine will be sharing her insights on leadership and how businesses can adapt to change.
Q&A session available for attendees
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12.30pm – 1.00pm
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Panel Session - How can we successfully adapt to changing business environments?
A panel of successful building and construction business operators will take the inspiration from Janine and reflect on their own experiences.
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1.00pm – 1.30pm
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What does the audience think?
Attendees will be given the chance to have their say in an “open mic” session about change, its impacts on them, the lessons learnt and what they would like Master Builders to do to help them adapt to changing business environments.
A second-round online poll will occur concurrently to gauge sentiment about change and the priorities for Master Builders advocacy.
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1:30pm-2.15pm
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Lunch – Networking Session
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Session 3 - How to achieve personal resilience?
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2.15pm – 2.30pm
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90 second pitch
6 industry leaders will be given 90 seconds each (strictly to be adhered to) on what personal resilience means to them and how we can improve resilience within the building and construction industry?
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2.30pm -3.00pm
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Reflections of the Day
A panel will reflect on what we have gained from the day, practical takeaways, messages heard by Master Builders leadership. Attendees will also have the chance to reflect from the final online poll.
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3pm-4pm
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Closing Keynote – How to Step Up in the Face Adversity
Dr Richard Harris SC OAM, and Australian of the Year 2019, is a renown cave diver became an internationally recognised hero when he assisted in the 2018 cave rescue of the Thai soccer team.
Outside of cave diving, Dr Harris is working at MedSTAR to offer anaesthetic treatment within South Australia’s emergency medical retrieval service.
Dr. Harris will inspire the audience with his insights into leadership, resilience, risk management, and teamwork under pressure. His remarkable story is not just about saving lives—it’s about pushing the limits of human endurance and collaboration.
Q&A session available for attendees.
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MEET OUR KEYNOTE SPEAKERS:
Simon Kuestenmacher
Simon Kuestenmacher is a Director and Co-founder of The Demographics Group, who will present on demographic and global trends that are shaping Australia today and into the future.
Janine Allis
Janine Allis is the founder of Boost Juice, the global smoothie and juice brand that revolutionised the health food industry. Janine’s journey from a stay-at-home mum to a globally successful entrepreneur is a testament to resilience, innovation, and bold decision-making and she will share her invaluable insights on leadership and how businesses adapt to change.
Dr Richard Harris
Dr. Richard Harris is an Australian anesthetist, cave diver, and hero of the 2018 Thai Cave Rescue, where he played a pivotal role in the daring mission to save 12 young soccer players and their coach.
His contributions to the rescue efforts in Thailand earned him international recognition, including being named joint Australian of the Year in 2019.
His remarkable story is not just about saving lives—it’s about pushing the limits of human endurance and collaboration.
